Newspoint - University of Maltahttps://www.um.edu.mt/newspointNewspoint - University of MaltaDealing with the rental market<div>
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As Dean of the Faculty for Social Wellbeing I commend the initiatives that are being taken by Government to reflect on this delicate matter. The Faculty for Social Wellbeing welcomes the initiative of the Parliamentary Secretary for Social Accommodation who published the White Paper that attempts to propose an improved modus operandi of the rental marketing, and, after discussion, would like to present the following thoughts.
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Let’s face the fact that we are in uncharted waters, and we need to carefully watch where we are going and detect any approaching dangers early enough before they destabilize the system that sustains us.
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It is also commendable that the population enjoys the benefit of a thriving economy while retaining its right to enjoy housing that is good, affordable and safe from threats of uprooting and eviction. Protecting house users cannot happen without good management of the system. We must have learned from our past mistakes that rigid over-control of the market can kill it, or maim its growth, as happened with the control of pre-1939 housing decisions. Recently, we reacted by removing practically all government regulation of the market and, amid a thriving economy and insufficient state provision, we now have a market becoming less capable of protecting families from potential insecurity, uprooting, eviction and substandard living.
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Some immediate reactions:
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<li>We need to encourage a situation whereby landlords will still find it reasonably profitable to invest in housing for rent. We simultaneously need government to provide social housing, to regulate the market and to subsidize for affordability and long-term sustainability. We need to be vigilant on the housing market and its relation to the economic and political environment.<br /></li>
<li>We need all sectors of society to collaborate in dialogue and partnership, to achieve the required stability away from threats of user hardship and unhealthy markets. By contrast, an unwise, intemperate and unrestrained reaction can provoke instability, and injustice towards users and landlords (particularly small and medium newly-emerged renting enterprises).<br /></li>
<li>We need to identify and monitor where we are heading through indicators of how well or badly users and providers are served through the current and the proposed state regulation.<br /></li>
<li>We must monitor and discourage potential abuse by landlords of the freedom to set reasonably profitable and fair rents, whether it occurs during the transition period occurring between the White Paper’s consultation period or after the implementation of the final Act. It is important to monitor what is happening in the supply and demand in the various segments of provision and of the market, affordability of requested rents, contract duration and stability, and evictions (whether forced legally or by giving up on unaffordable leases).<br /></li>
<li>We need updated and reliable data about population growth and market pressure from new employment and resident categories that influence availability, stability and prices. Contract registration is a good and essential step towards achieving this indispensable data.<br /></li>
<li>We need updated information on how much our population has grown during these last two or three years, and which populations segments tend to exacerbate market conditions.<br /></li>
<li>We need to know which allegations are true: whether rents are stabilizing or still shooting up, whether evictions or garage-living is low or high, unchanged or skyrocketing; whether would-be bidders are truly counting on prices for building social housing that are much higher than they need be in a competitive market.</li>
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With cooperation all round, one can hope that destabilisation of the market and housing system can be avoided without resorting to stricter rent regulation of initial rents than suggested in the white paper. Freedom to raise initial rents can act as a good safeguard of the market, in the sense of encouraging continued and growing supply from private landlords. However, if this freedom is taken too far, people will be evicted people will risk having no decent housing to live in. A contained and temperate response by landlords to this freedom is the only way to assure moves in the market that do not seriously endanger stability. Serious lack of availability and stability would inevitably necessitate interventions by government that nobody wishes to see happen, and that can be avoided through dialogue, prudence, self-regulation as well as state incentives (e.g. tax deductions).
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Self-regulation and cooperation need to build on transparency and wise and fair policy. The duty of gathering and transparently disseminating information about the comfort or hardship of housing users and the health of the housing system, as well as exercise regulation, standards enforcement and provide tribunals, should be entrusted to an institution that is independent of Government, like the Central Bank is, and placed under the authority of the Ombudsman. Its directors should meet the approval not just of the political parties, but, equally importantly, of the representatives of both housing users and providers, to ensure widespread confidence. Affordability gives families no security if this is assured only for a handful of years. Being tied to renting contracts of 4 or 5 years at a time is like carrying around a ticking time-bomb that deprives families of the mental peace they need. The German model of leases that are normally indefinite, and which can be cut short in specified conditions under decisions by an independent tribunal, does better justice to what families need.
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It is noticed that in the discussion around the White Paper, an attempt is made to distinguish
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between affordable housing and social housing, the latter presumably involving deeper Government support. It is worth noticing that if no immediate provisions are taken we risk having less citizens engaging in home ownership except through social housing. We believe that the end of widespread home ownership would be a step backwards. Besides. employing for-profit organizations in the construction and maintenance of affordable and social housing is a good thing. However, the allocation of such housing should never be in the hands of for-profit organizations. These should be run on a completely non-profit basis by organizations and individuals with a proven track record of altruistic motivation.
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Regulators must ensure that there is level playing field among the bidders. Full transparency, for the sake of the trust needed for a cooperative atmosphere, must be assured against the dangerous and misplaced claims of commercial sensitivity. We recommend that the research done for the white paper should be published. Government should also guarantee for the independent regulator enough competence and resources. The State should endow the regulator with enough powers of overseeing and intervention in order to make certain that its operation is free of avoidable mistakes and weaknesses, so that it can be the vital, effective and trusted force for good that users and providers need.
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The problem is not only on the supply side, but also on the demand. It is therefore good to offer subsidies in the right places. Crucially, housing policy will be useless if formulated and implemented in isolation. Its pursuit of the common good and social wellbeing cannot be allowed to be thwarted by policies of unlimited and unguided population and employment expansion, investment promotion and land-selling, that go beyond what local realities and needs can take. An exploding economy can go too far and too fast if it goes beyond what can be absorbed without harm by the prevailing levels of salaries or housing availability, the existent infrastructure and environment, and our fundamental inclusion and wealth-sharing goals.
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Prof. Andrew Azzopardi
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Dean, Faculty for the Social Wellbeing
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Mon, 19 Nov 2018 17:02:01 +0100https://www.um.edu.mt/newspoint/news/features/2018/11/dealingwiththerentalmarket'Antigona'<div>
Professor Anthony (Toni) Aquilina’s annotated translation into Maltese of Jean Anouilh’s 'Antigone / Antigona', a masterpiece of the modern French theatre, has just been published to coincide with this year’s National Book Festival that took place at the Malta Mediterranean Conference Centre between 7 and 11 November .&nbsp;
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Anouilh’s 'Antigone', written in 1942, was first performed at the Théâtre de l’Atelier in Paris two years later when France still formed part of Hitler’s Europe and the dictator’s stormtroops were the backdrop of everyday life. Although this tragedy (published with three others in 1947 under the title 'Nouvelles pièces noires') was based on the classical story of Sophocles (c. 497/6B.C.-406/5B.C.), produced in Athens in the 5th century B.C., its theme was nonetheless very topical, because in Antigone’s reiterated 'Non! / Le!' to King Creon the French theatre-goers saw their own resistance to the German occupation. The irony of it all is that the Germans presumably found Creon’s arguments in favour of dictatorship convincing enough to allow the play to be performed uncensored.
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'Antigona' is a Faraxa publication. Professor Aquilina is a member of the Department of Translation, Terminology and Interpreting Studies within the Faculty of Arts at the University of Malta.
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Mon, 19 Nov 2018 13:55:55 +0100https://www.um.edu.mt/newspoint/news/features/2018/11/antigonaEngaging students with science at UM<div>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>&nbsp;</em><em>Science in action for secondary school students at the Faculty of Science laboratories.&nbsp;&nbsp;</em></p>
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<p>The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/um.sciencefaculty/" target="_blank">Faculty of Science</a>&nbsp;together with the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/um.educationfaculty" target="_blank">Faculty of Education</a>&nbsp;in collaboration with the Secretariat for Catholic Education (SfCE) hosted 75 secondary school students from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AugMalta/" target="_blank">St Augustine School in Pieta</a>, at the Faculty of Science on 13 November as part of the POP Science initiative.&nbsp;</p>
<p>A short introduction was given by Ms Stephanie Maggi Pulis, Head of Department of Physics at SfCE, followed by a presentation by Dr Charles Bonello from the Department of Mathematics and Science Education from the Faculty of Education and another presentation delivered by Dr André Xuereb from the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science. Both students and the teaching staff had the opportunity to get an overview of the courses offered at the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Education.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>This was followed by a visit to the laboratories of five departments; Biology, Chemistry, Geosciences, Physics and Statistics, all within the Faculty of Science. Various engaging hands-on activities were co-ordinated by Ms Danielle Martine Farrugia, science communicator at the Department of Physics. Ms Farrugia oversaw the educational content and liaised with the two faculties and SfCE to engage students in an informal way, and to acquire a taste of what science opportunities are present at the University of Malta.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Students from the degree programme, B.Sc. in Science for Education and Communication together with early stage researchers from the Departments of Physics and Geosciences prepared activities to create relevant and interactive sessions for the students on five different topics revolving around the theme&nbsp; ‘Science in the home’. The topics presented included, heating, refrigeration, lighting, water/sewage management and materials.</p>
<p>The Department of Geosciences showcased activities from their different research groups including seismology and oceanography, while the Department of Chemistry engaged students in conducting experiments on creating natural indicators. The Department of Biology also prepared experiments and guided secondary school students to conduct an experiment on stomatal density in plants, followed by data analysis with the staff from the Department of Statistics. Other staff members from the Faculty of Science guided the different groups around the Faculty making sure to assist teaching staff and their students with any questions about the visit. An exciting morning for all involved was clear from the immediate feedback that was given.</p>
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Mon, 19 Nov 2018 10:27:09 +0100https://www.um.edu.mt/newspoint/news/features/2018/11/engagingstudentswithscienceatumThe Future of Smart Specialisation – Follow-up Discussions<div>
<p><strong>20, 22 &amp; 26 November | 09:00-13:00</strong></p>
<p>After the successful first consultation session held on the 6th November on the Future of Smart Specialisation in Malta, The Malta Council for Science and Technology would like to open its doors once again to continue engaging with stakeholders and discuss the outcomes that have emerged in more depth. To ensure that all interested participants can join the consultation, MCST is hosting this discussion on three separate dates, the 20, 22 and 26 November.</p>
<p><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf2U2hk7-_xpaqjfqGWkk8UY2oNSU4eXnpl37yzzKE8AUAFDw/viewform" target="_blank">Register online</a>&nbsp;to select your preferred date and receive more information on the outcomes of the first discussion and what is planned for the next sessions.</p>
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Mon, 19 Nov 2018 09:13:29 +0100https://www.um.edu.mt/newspoint/events/happeninginmalta/2018/11/thefutureofsmartspecialisationfollow-updiscussions10th Malta Medical School Conference<div>
The Organising Committee of the 10th Malta Medical School Conference is pleased to announce this year’s edition of the well-established and anticipated triennial event which will be held between 29 November and 1 December 2018.<br />
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The event is hosted at Westin Dragonara Resort in St Julians. This Conference comprises the largest congregation of local doctors and ancillary medical and paramedical fields, with the express intention of showcasing recent developments in clinical and scientific research. Both local and overseas speakers of international repute will, as is now customary, contribute to this event.
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Oral presentations and posters dealing with almost all specialities will be presented, while plenary sessions delivered by invited speakers will focus on innovations. More details, including the programme, are available on the <a href="https://www.um.edu.mt/umms/mmsc" target="_blank">Conference website</a>.<br />
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The Conference also constitutes an opportunity for sponsors to meet hundreds of professionals in order to further strengthen business relationships, in an environment that is conducive to personal interaction and discussion.
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Mon, 19 Nov 2018 08:54:27 +0100https://www.um.edu.mt/newspoint/events/umevents/2018/12/10maltamedicalschoolconferenceBattle of the Brains 4th edition<div>
On Friday 9 November, Malta University Sports &amp; Leisure teamed up with Saracino’s for the 4th edition of Battle of the Brains, an annual quiz night series which has built quite a reputation for itself. Back in 2016, Battle of the Brains was first set up to help support research in ALS through the University of Malta Research, Innovation &amp; Development Trust (RIDT). There is currently no cure for ALS and this motivates the team to work hard to raise even more funds each year.
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The team strives to make the quiz bigger and better and it is no surprise that this year's event was once again a record-breaking evening with 90 participants teaming up to go head to head in a heated competition of the smartest. What makes Battle of the Brains such a success year after year is that it is not your regular quiz night. In fact, the 4th edition saw the addition of the mystery drink round where teams were asked to taste a cocktail and decipher the six ingredients used to make this.
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The organisers are extremely grateful for the overwhelming support they received from external companies as well as the general public. It is thanks to these people that the amount of EUR 850 was raised and is being donated to RIDT to support research in ALS.
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One of the enthusiastic organisers, Hannah Pace, said, 'Whilst congratulating ‘The Chocolate Teapot’ once again for their victory, in what was an extremely close call this time round, I am proud to say that few people went home empty-handed on the night. This is all thanks to the huge amount of support we received from companies which enabled us to give out some amazing raffle prizes. We can almost say that everyone won something on the night even if it was just the pleasure of being there in support of research in ALS. Of course, the biggest victor is the cause itself! It is always a proud moment to see everything fall into place on the night, after the hard work, and we definitely look forward to holding more and more of these events to continue providing our support.'
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Mon, 19 Nov 2018 08:10:45 +0100https://www.um.edu.mt/newspoint/news/features/2018/11/battleofthebrains4theditionAssisting UNESCO to promote Digital Pedagogy Tools<div>
<p>Professor Matthew Montebello has been commissioned by the Mahatma Gandhi lnstitute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) to assist a team of specialists within a UNESCO working group that focusses on education for peace and sustainable development to foster global citizenship. Professor Montebello has been appointed as a specialist research consultant within the area of Digital Pedagogies to promote the use of digital learning platforms where teachers and students can co-create and share a highly interactive learning experience.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>UNESCO MGTEP aims to review the state-of-the-art in digital textbooks and other teaching and learning resources with a view to developing guidelines and universal standards on developing and certifying quality digital education media which will help textbook developers and textbook development agencies around the world to produce next-generation textbooks.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>The 20-strong team of specialists is currently in India promoting the use of digital pedagogy tools at the international conference Transforming Education Conference for Humanity (TECH2018) which is organised by UNESCO MGIEP to showcase the role of digital learning in enabling a shift from Transmissive Pedagogies to Transformative Pedagogies to create peaceful and sustainable societies.</p>
<p><em>Prof. Montebello is associate professor at the Department of Artificial Intelligence within the Faculty of ICT.&nbsp;</em></p>
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Fri, 16 Nov 2018 13:45:25 +0100https://www.um.edu.mt/newspoint/news/features/2018/11/assistingunescotopromotedigitalpedagogytoolsLil’ Arena tournament at the Institute of Digital Games<div>
Welcome to the Afterlife hosted at the Institute of Digital Games (IDG) where the 1st Lil’ Arena tournament in Malta will be hosted on Thursday, 22 November starting at 17:30.<br />
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Prove you are the best Lil’ player in Malta and walk away with the famous Lil’ ears and the glory. All of the glory.<br />
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<strong>Institute of Digital Games Student Lead Designer</strong>
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Lil’ Arena has recently launched on Steam by one of the IDG’s students, Konstantinos Vasileiadis, who founded his own studio, Tall Guy Productions, and is also the lead designer of the game. Konstantinos will share the wisdom gained through suffering the production process before kicking off the tournament. He will present an overview of the process of creating the game in your own studio from concept to launch.
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScmb0OlarCEJdwrIYesjs07g2rR6dcir4FGiuCd1HWwR47d3w/viewform" target="_blank">Sign up now!</a>
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Fri, 16 Nov 2018 10:48:01 +0100https://www.um.edu.mt/newspoint/events/umevents/2018/11/lilarenatournamentattheinstituteofdigitalgamesUM at Quality Assurance Forum in Vienna<div>
<p>A record 520 delegates from 53 countries attended the 13th European Quality Assurance Forum, held this year at the ultra-modernist campus of the Vienna University of Economics and Business, in Austria. Professor Godfrey Baldacchino, Pro-Rector responsible for quality assurance, and Ms Angela Tabone, from the Office of the Rector, attended the event.</p>
<p>EQAF offers an opportunity to review progress in QA in light of the Bologna Process of which the University of Malta is a founder member.&nbsp;</p>
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Fri, 16 Nov 2018 10:29:39 +0100https://www.um.edu.mt/newspoint/news/features/2018/11/umatqualityassuranceforuminviennaWatch: Life Beyond Theatre Studies<div>
<p>The Department of Theatre Studies has been operating for 30 years, during which it produced professionals and entrepreneurs working in the cultural sector, education, management, media, and performing arts. Its students are guaranteed a balanced mix of practice and theory, as well as exposure to international performance realities throughout both undergraduate and postgraduate courses.&nbsp;</p>
<p>More information can be found&nbsp;<a href="https://www.um.edu.mt/performingarts/theatre" target="_blank">online</a>.</p>
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Fri, 16 Nov 2018 07:58:43 +0100https://www.um.edu.mt/newspoint/news/features/2018/11/lifebeyondtheatrestudies